World Bowls Indoor Championships –
Welsh representatives Daniel Salmon and Amy Williams will be taking part in this competition between the 7th to 12th of May. Good luck to them both as they prepare for the event held at Warilla Bowls & Recreation Club, NSW, Australia.
The World Indoor Bowls Championships will begin with the Mixed Pairs event, followed by the respective singles competitions.
Daniel is an experience Welsh international player having played at all major bowling events both indoor and outdoor. He is a two time Commonwealth Games pairs Gold medallist with numerous other medals to his name including Atlantic Bronze medal and Gold at the 2017 World Youth Championships. While Daniel has competed at numerous events in the Southern hemisphere this will be Amy’s first time putting on the red dragon shirt in Australia. Amy is no stranger to the international indoor bowls scene having competed at various competitions in the UK including televised test matches and WIBC events.
Bowls Wales caught up with Amy Williams in the lead up to the event and wish her and Daniel a successful series in Australia.
Interview with Amy:
What are you looking forward to most about the World Bowls Indoor Championships?
I’m looking forward most to being able to play in Australia, just to get to experience the world of bowls out there is something I’ve wanted to do for years so to finally get to do it I’m buzzing! Knowing there’s so many countries going this year gives a really good chance to get some experience playing on a bigger international stage and especially playing Australian players on their greens I’ve watched in the BPL I can’t wait to just get amongst it.
What have you been doing in preparation for the event?
Just been trying to get as much practice indoors in as I can. Had some good prep in Abbeyview in the British isles where we had good competitive games in the series and the British championships with some good results winning the fours and luckily it’s not been too long since the Welsh finals so winning the triples and fours has given a good bit of momentum to go with.
Do you have any pre match rituals or a process you have to follow on game day?
I always like to listen to music before I get going on game day. I like to just chuck my headphones on, get some good hype up music on and zone out for a bit. I like to prep my drinks by the side of the green and get my stickers done early so I know I’m not rushing on and then get some stretches in before we kick off so I know I’m mentally and physically ready and all I have to worry about then is the bowls.
What bowls will you be using for the event?
I’m taking my Taylor aces which have definitely been a huge part of my success over the recent years. I am going to try out some GTRs when I’m out there to see if the surface suits them better but luckily I’ve got a little time before the event to figure out what suits me better out there. I’m so grateful to Vicky, Adam and all Taylor bowls for their support, they’ve been such a great help and support over the years I’m really lucky to be on Team Taylor.
Australia is a long way from home, will you have any support going with you?
My parents are coming with me which is great because I can’t imagine doing this trip without my dad being there to support me. He’s never missed a big event ever since I started so to get to do a trip like this with him is just fantastic. I’m so grateful to the Welsh indoor bowls officials too for their support and allowing me this opportunity to represent Wales and hopefully bring back a medal.
To access the schedule of matches, event rules and playing conditions click on the link below:
